International
Ukraine exposes Russia’s weakness at the border with the support of the West
The Russian army has mobilized all its heavy artillery and aviation to expel the Ukrainian troops that penetrated its territory three days ago, showing its defensive weakness at the border in the face of an operation that has received the support of the West.
“The attempts of some (Ukrainian) units to go deep into (Russian) territory in the Kursk sector have been rejected,” the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged today in a statement.
The head of the Russian General Staff, Valeri Guerásimov, promised “the crushing defeat of the enemy,” but it is still far from coming, which has sparked alarmism on social networks and among the opposition, which blames the president, Vladimir Putin, for his “bloody adventure” in Ukraine.
Ukraine has not officially claimed the biggest incursion since the beginning of the war in February 2022, but Kiev insinuated on Thursday that there is no better way to force the Kremlin to negotiate peace than to hit it where it hurts the most.
Both Defense and the regional authorities admitted that the fighting continues for the third consecutive day in the districts of Sudzha and Kórenevo, which are several kilometers from the border.
The Kursk Government assured Channel One on Thursday that “the enemy has not advanced a meter, on the contrary, it is withdrawing,” but the military parties and bloggers close to the Kremlin deny it.
The latter insist that the enemy has taken control of a border post, where they took several dozen Russian soldiers prisoners – including young recruits – and continues to advance by road to other towns in the area, at a depth of ten kilometers.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which cites Russian sources, Ukrainians would control 45 square kilometers, an area that would include more than a dozen localities.
The Ukrainians also took the Sudzha gas meter, the tank that measures the flow of gas circulating through Ukrainian territory destined for European customers, although the Gazprom consortium reported today that it continues to pump that fuel through Ukraine.
Bloggers have also charged for the first time the inks against the new Minister of Defense, Andrei Belousov, whom they accuse of neglecting the protection of the border, when the concentration of enemy troops a few kilometers from Russian territory was known, and they urg him to punish incompetent officers.
The Russian Army today resorted to the Su-34 fighter-bombers to strike in Kursk, the scene of the largest tank battle of World War II, the positions of the Ukrainian units that crossed the common border.
According to Defense, the Su-34s used FAB-500 aerial bombs, which Moscow usually uses to hammer Ukrainian territory, to launch “precise attacks from a safe distance” from the combat zone.
For its part, the Séver group (North) attacked the positions of six enemy mechanized brigades in Kursk, but also in the neighboring regions of Kharkov and Sumi, where Kiev would have suffered 415 casualties, in addition to the destruction of four tanks, about thirty armored vehicles and military vehicles.
In an attempt to stop the panic – five civilians have died and another thirty were injured – Putin interrupted his vacation to hold a videoconference meeting today with the acting governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, who declared a state of emergency the day before.
The Ukrainian presidential adviser, Mikhail Podoliak, subtly admitted Kiev’s role in the incursion by recognizing its “effectiveness” and ensuring that Russia will only agree to negotiate peace “if it understands that the losses in this war are unimaginable and that the price of war is already unacceptable.”
“In view of the second summit of peace, in order for her (Russia) to get there, behave more or less appropriately (…) and not act with arrogance, which is typical of Russian foreign policy, it is necessary that the instruments of coercion work,” he said.
He added: “Today they have a war that gradually deepens in the Russian Federation. Will it scare them? Yes. Do they react to something other than fear? No,” he said.
In this regard, the European Commission defended on Thursday that, “according to international law, Ukraine has the right to defend itself and that includes hitting the enemy in its territory.”
“Within the framework of this legitimate right to defend itself, Ukraine is empowered to hit its enemy where it deems necessary in its territory, but also in the territory of the enemy,” said Peter Stano, spokesman for the head of community diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
International
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
International
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, according to an assessment released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.
The organization said the projections are based on available population data and damage assessments, and include up to two million people living in Caracas, the country’s capital.
The estimates highlight the potentially massive humanitarian impact of the disaster, the IOM warned.
Entire buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas, following the powerful twin earthquakes that reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on Wednesday.
The national death toll has risen to 920, while rescue teams continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble in coastal regions and other affected areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday that more than 50,000 people were reported missing.
The IOM also revealed that it worked with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence laboratory on an initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5% of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had suffered damage.
Authorities and international rescue teams continue operations as Venezuela faces one of its largest humanitarian emergencies in recent years.
International
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday expressed his condolences to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and highlighted the ongoing coordination between UN humanitarian teams and interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking during the UN’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
“The Secretary-General is deeply distressed by the loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” Dujarric stated.
Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. According to official figures, the disaster has left at least 164 people dead and 971 others injured.
Dujarric noted that preliminary reports indicate significant damage across several states, including the capital, Caracas. Numerous casualties have been reported, while other individuals remain trapped beneath collapsed structures or are still missing.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged and essential services have been disrupted,” the spokesperson said.
The United Nations confirmed that its humanitarian team remains in close contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and other relevant authorities as emergency operations continue.
To support relief efforts, the UN has established a coordination center in Caracas and is assisting local authorities to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches affected communities as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guterres also welcomed the expressions of solidarity and offers of assistance from countries around the world that responded following news of the disaster, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing the humanitarian emergency.
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
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